When a political
activist speaks out against the atrocities committed against his ethnic group
or the oppression of his country at the hands of a dictatorial regime, he is
considered a hero and enjoys popularity within his ethnic/national community.
There have been many such heroes all over the world and they are best
exemplified by the dissidents who opposed the communist regimes in former
Soviet Union and Eastern Europe before 1989. Some of these dissidents such as
Vaclav Hovel of former Czechoslovakia were elected to high political offices
after the fall of communist regimes. In
this article I refer to such activists as the type A activists. There is
however, another type of political activist that raises his voice in protest
against what he considers the unjust behavior of his own ethnic group or
country against others. Such an activist not only receives no praise from the
majority of his own people/nation but is often accused of being unpatriotic and
even treacherous.

I like to refer to
this type of political activist as a type B activist to differentiate it from
the former. The best example of a contemporary type B activist is Noam Chomsky
who has been a strong critic of American foreign policy toward third world
countries for more than five decades despite being an American himself. Type B
activists whose number is far smaller than type A activists, serve a valuable cause
by challenging the members of their own society to be fair to weaker nations or
minority groups. For this service they deserve to be recognized and rewarded so
that others will follow in their path. I propose the creation of an annual international
award to recognize and honor type B activists. Abuse and exploitation of the weak can
occur under different political systems. With the spread of democracy to many
countries of the world the number of non-democratic governments has declined in
the past two decades and billions of people now live under political regimes
that are responsive to the rights and aspirations of the majority of their
citizens. Yet unfortunately the democracies, old and new, do not necessarily
respect the rights of the minorities or the weaker nations. As recent history
has clearly shown a powerful democratic country can wage war or engage in
covert operations against smaller nations in pursuit of its national interest
without facing any challenge from other nations or international organizations.

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Often the only
force that can prevent a superpower from victimizing other nations is the
political will of its own citizens. Frequently the majority of people in many
democratic countries remain indifferent toward the atrocities that their own
governments commit against others. In some cases this indifference is a result
of the mainstream media's biased portrayal of events, that misinforms the
citizens about these atrocities. In
other cases the public indifference is a reflection of the political values of
the majority. Some people in democratic societies support the aggressive behavior
of their government because it serves the national interest while others take
pleasure in their country's power and domination over others.

It is precisely
because of such ethno-centric and apathetic tendencies among the mass of the
people in most countries-democratic and undemocratic alike- that type B
activists are so rare and their activities are so valuable. It is the type B
activist that rises above blind patriotism and selfishness of his own people
and calls for a just behavior toward others. There are many historical incidents where
type-B activists have served as agents of change and their activities have
helped the cause of justice and freedom.

During 19th and 20th
centuries, there where many type B activists in Europe, who spoke out against European
colonialism. In the 1940s and 50s there were also many liberals in the United
States, from the majority white population, who actively supported the black
civil rights movement when the white society was overwhelmingly and openly racist.
These white activists were treated harshly and labeled as race-traitors by the
majority. Yet their activities gradually raised the conscience of the white
majority and made a valuable contribution to the success of the civil rights
movement in the United States.

In the past few years the world has witnessed
a few Russian journalists and political activists who have spoken out against
the atrocities of the Russian government against the Chechens. Unfortunately
some of these activists have lost their lives because of these protests but
their voice has alerted others around the world to this issue, although more
needs to be done. Overtime the struggle of these activists and growing
international attention could encourage Russia to adopt a more humane policy toward
Chechnya.

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Last but not least, one should mention the various
Israeli groups and Jewish activists such
as Uri Avnery, the Bet Selem, and Jews for Justice for Palestinians who have repeatedly
protested the harsh treatment of the Palestinians and the occupation of
Palestinian territories.

The dedication and
struggle of type B activists in Western countries has also had a positive
influence in the policies of multilateral agencies such as World Bank and
International Monetary Fund. These two powerful international agencies exert a
significant amount of influence on economic policies of developing countries.
Throughout 1980s and 1990s IMF and World Bank imposed market oriented economic
reforms on indebted third world countries as preconditions for financial
assistance and debt rescheduling. In some countries these reforms resulted in higher levels of inequality and
poverty.

A small group of
Type B activists took notice of these adverse consequences and began a grass
roots awareness campaign against IMF/World Bank policies. Eventually more
people joined these campaigns and mass protests were organized during annual
IMF/World Bank meetings for several years. As a result of this widespread and
decentralized movement the IMF and World Bank were eventually forced to change
their perspective and put more emphasis on anti-poverty programs in their
policy recommendations to low-income countries. The organizers and participants
in this protest movement were all citizens of industrial nations and deserve
recognition as grass roots type B activists.

Abuse of weaker nations is not limited to
the industrial countries of the (geopolitical) North. There are many incidents
of minority abuse and aggression toward weaker neighbors within the South. The
people of Tibet have lived under Chinese oppression for centuries. Morocco has
dragged its feet for decades in recognizing the rights of the tribal people of
Western Sahara. The population of Kashmir is 98% Muslim but its demand for
independence has been ignored by India ever since the end of British rule. Meanwhile,
Kurds are scattered in four Middle Eastern Countries (Iran, Iraq, Turkey and
Syria), none of which are prepared to address the Kurdish aspirations for
independence. In Africa the treatment of civilians in West Darfur by the
Sudanese government has received international attention in recent years but
there are numerous other cases that can be listed.

Unfortunately it is
very hard to find type B activists in these non-Western countries who are
willing to question such abuses. This is partly due to the harsh punishment of
such activists by their respective governments in non-democratic countries which
lack legal protection for free-speech. The rarity of type B activists, however,
is also partly a conscious choice on part of the intellectuals who share the
majority view. For example, even the Chinese political activists who live in
exile in the West and are beyond the reach of Chinese government rarely offer
any support for the rights of Tibet people although they are eager to raise
their voice for democracy and human rights in China. The same is true of
Pakistani intellectuals in the West who take no position on the abuse of Qadiani
minority group or the Iranian exiles who remain silent on the oppression of
Baha'is in their homeland.

Another factor
that leads to the tolerance of injustice toward weaker groups is the past
grievances and injured pride of a people which is used to justify an ongoing
injustice. The vast Ottoman empire of the 18th century was reduced
to modern day Turkey by early 20th century as it was defeated
repeatedly by European powers. This historical defeat has resulted in a
reactionary pan-Turkish nationalism that was fervently opposed to recognizing
the cultural rights or political aspirations of the Kurdish minority up until a
few years ago. A similar reactionary nationalism is noticeable in many other non-western
countries that have suffered historical humiliation as a result of Western
colonialism and imperialism. In these cases a collective sense of victimization
is used as an excuse to suppress an ethnic minority or deny independence to an
occupied territory. In rare occasions that a type B activist supports the
rights of these oppressed groups, in addition to the risk of formal punishment,
he or she will face a very severe social backlash in mainstream intellectual
circles of his own society. Establishing an award for type B activists will pay
tribute to the courage and sacrifice of these rare breed of activists who often
pay a heavy price for their political views.

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Concluding remarks

In the post-cold war world, the international
order resembles a chaotic jungle in which the strong nations threaten the
weaker nations and try to impose their will on them. Unfortunately there is no
international body that can effectively intervene and the only effective force
that can discourage a powerful nation from praying on weaker nations is the
moral character of its citizens. The moral conscience of the world community
has gradually improved after world war two and democratic industrial nations no
longer approve of overt imperialism or colonialism. This has come about, in no
small measure, as a result of the efforts of type B political activists in
Western societies.

Better communications and the easier access to
the news coverage of international events have also played an important role. The
weak nations however, are still vulnerable to covert intervention and more
subtle forms of implicit economic and political domination. Type B activists in
advanced countries that have the power to exploit and abuse the weaker nations,
serve a valuable purpose by raising the political consciousness of their
citizens about these abuses. Type B activists also make a valuable contribution
in all societies by standing up for the
rights of oppressed minorities and social groups. The type B activists deserve to be
recognized for this valuable service and one way to do so is through an annual
award. I call on progressive political activists worldwide to express their
views about this proposal and if there is enough support for it, exchange views
on practical steps needed to set up such an award system.

Nader Habibi is the Henry J. Leir Professor of the Economics of the Middle East at Brandeis University's Crown Center for Middle East Studies. His research has focused on economic and financial conditions of oil-exporting Middle Eastern countries, (more...)